Shadow light



R. M. DUNN SHADOW LIGHT July 7, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1968 INVENTOR ROBERT M. DUNN July 7, 1970 R. M. DUNN 3,519,237

SHADOW LIGHT Filed May 21, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIE-.El

l/V VE' N T 0R ROBERT M. DUN/V United States Patent 3,519,237 SHADOW LIGHT Robert M. Dunn, 2730 Pennnsylvania Ave. W., Warren, Pa. 16365 Filed May 21, 1968, Ser. No. 730,810 Int. Cl. F21v 21/34 U.S. Cl. 248-327 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An assembly for supporting a shadow light including a first support secured to the shadow light housing extending along an axis transversely disposed relative to the shadow line, a second support releasably secured to the first support pivotably about the first mentioned axis and for adjustably positioning the first support longitudinally along the first mentioned axis and a supporting hanger attached to the second support and having wheels adapted to engage a horizontal rail member.

In the lumber industry it is known to provide a shadow light movable with the saws of an edger to cast a shadow indicating the path which is followed by a saw during a cut such as edging of a rough board. The operation of one of such shadow lights is illustrated and described in my copending application Ser. No. 547,532, filed May 4, 1966, now Pat. No. 3,381,729.

A shadow light assembly having a lamp and housing to obtain a shadow line which extends along an axis, in which a first support means is secured to the housing and has a portion extending along a second axis extending transversely of the shadow line, a second support means is releasably secured to such portion of the first support means for adjustably positioning the first support means pivotably about the second axis and for adjustably positioning the first support means longitudinally along the second axis, a third support means is selectively movable in opposite directions along a linear path extending substantially in the same direction as the second axis, and the second support means has at least a portion secured to the third support means for adjustably positioning the second support means with respect to the third support means along an axis extending transversely to the second axis.

It is therefore an object of this invention, to provide an adjustable shadow light assembly. This and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an edger incorporating a shadow light assembly constructed according to the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the edger of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the bracket portion of the shadow light assembly constructed according to the principles of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 an edger 10, as is known, is operatively connected to a shadow light support 12 with the edger 10 comprising an elongated frame 14 of generally rectangular shape supporting on its upper surface a plurality of transversely disposed rollers 16 upon which a board is supported as it moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, to be trimmed or edged by one or more laterally spaced saws such as circle saws 20, 21 and 22 (FIG. 2) identified as left intermediate and right hand saws, respectively. Saws 20, 21 and 22 are rotatably mounted for Get:

powered rotation within a saw housing 24 enclosing an opening aligned with the top surface of the rollers 16 so that boards may pass therethrough an exit from the housing 24 over a final roller 17 after being edged or trimmed by the saws 21, 22, all as well known in the art. Suitably rigidly mounted above the right hand ends of the rollers 16 is an angle iron 26 secured to the right hand frame member 15 and forming a permanent guide for the right hand edge of a rough sawn board to be edged in a well known manner.

The right hand saw 22 is fixed relative to its alignment with the guide 26 so that a board of normal edge roughness pushed over the rollers 16 with its right hand edge against the guide 26 will be suitably trimmed on its right hand edge by the saw 22. The other two saws 20 and 21 are adjustable laterally relative to the frame 15 to accommodate boards of varying widths and are movable by elongated levers 28 and 30 suitably connected to movable supports in which the saws 20 and 21 are mounted respectively in a well known manner so that the saws 20 and 21 can be adjusted to left or right as necessary to properly trim and rip the boards passed across the edger. A pair of movable lamp carrying assemblies 32 and 33 are suitably connected to the movable supports of the saws 20 and 21 and a stationary lamp carrying assembly 34 are carried by the support 12. The lamp carrying assemblies are preferably identical and each supports a lamp 88 which lamps 88 cast a relatively narrow concentrated band of light aligned with and longitudinally centered on the respective saws 20, 21 and 22. Each lamp carrying assembly is provided with a tensioned shadow casting wire 41 so that each band of light is marked through its center by a narrow black shadow line which indicates precisely where the respective saw will cut the board presented thereto and guided by the guide 26.

As described in the above identified application the assembly 32, for example, is connected to the lever 28 as by flexible upper and lower cables 38 and 36 respectively, as viewed in FIG. 1 which cables extend within the confines of the table 14 and are connected to a portion of the movable support for saw 20 in such manner that when the saw 20 is moved to the left the cable 36 is pulled downwardly and across to the right within the frame 14 whereby the assembly 32 is moved to the left the same distance and at the same rate of movement as the movement of the saw 20. When the saw 20 is moved to the right the cable 38 is pulled downwardly so that the assembly 32 and the saw 20 are moved to the right the same distance at the same rate of speed. It is to be noted that the particular pulley connections and cable arrangements form no part of the. invention and such connections and arrangements can be made in a variety of ways as long as the movement of the lamps 88 carried by the assemblies 32 and 33 are matched to that of the respective saw in the transverse direction to the left and right as the case may be.

The cables 36 and 38 are connected to a supported bracket assembly 50 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. An inverted T-bar 40, suitably supported transversely above the table by downwardly depending bracket members 42 of the support 12 is housed in a cover member 44. Cover member 44 is open at the bottom thereof to permit the bracket assembly 50 to travel freely along the upstanding stem or track of the T-bar 40. The bracket assembly 50 is suspended from such track by means of a pair of wheels 52 rotatably supported between spaced arms of a pair of U-shaped support elements 54. Support elements 54 straddle the T-bar 40 from below with the bight portions thereof being rigidly secured to the top horizontally extending flange portion of an elongated channel member 56 of U- shaped cross section such as by through bolts having nuts 58 threadedly secured thereto. The lower horizontally extending flange portion of the channel member 56 is provided with a pair of suitable anchor elements, such as through bolts having nuts 60 threadedly secured thereto, adjacent the respective ends of the channel member 56 to which the cables 36 and 38 are secured, respectively, so that the cables 36 and 38 will be adjustably and removably connected to the channel element 56.

Also mounted through holes in the lower flange portion of the channel 56 is a pair of L-shaped supports 62 and 63, left hand and right hand respectively as viewed in FIG. 3, which are adjustably rigidly secured to the lower flange portion of the channel member 56 with the lower legs thereof extending horizontally towards each other with the free ends thereof being spaced from each other. Each support 62 and 63 is threaded a substantial length inwardly from the free ends thereof with the upstanding legs 62' and 63' thereof being secured to the lower flange portion by pairs of nuts 64 engaging opposite sides of the lower flange. The hanger assembly 65, comprising an upper short tubular portion 66 slidable over the opposed free ends of the supports 62 and 63 and a lower U-shaped member 68 having the upper ends of the arms thereof suitably rigidly secured to the lower portion of the tubular portion 66, such as by welding, is provided to adjustably connect a lamp housing to the bracket assembly 50. Tubular portion 66 is adjustably rigidly secured in a desired position on the supports 62 and 63 by nuts 67 at each end of portion 66 which nuts 67 are abuttingly engaged by jam or lock nuts 67' all of which nuts are threaded on the legs 62 and 63. Lower member 68 is provided with a rigid outwardly extending tongue 70 the lower surface of which is flush with the lower surface of the lower member 68 and engages the upper surface of a top element 72 of a lamp housing. Top element 72 is adjustably rigidly secured to the hanger assembly 65 by a threaded stud 71 rigidly secured to and extending downwardly from the bottom bight portion of the lower element 68 which stud 71 extends through a slightly larger opening in the top element 72 and has a nut 73 secured thereto on the lower side of the top element 72. The tongue 70 has a relatively large opening 69 extending therethrough adjacent its free end, which opening 69 is covered by a washer 74 so that a cap screw 75 of relatively small diameter compared to the bore 69 can extend through the washer 74, opening 69 and an aligned opening in the top element 72. Cap screw 75 is secured against the lower surface of the top element 72 by a nut 76.

Top element 72 is of a length approximately the same as the width of cover member 44 and has a downwardly depending leg 85 at each end thereof between which legs 85 the lamp 88 extends. Lamp 88 is an elongated quartz lamp having a high lumen output throughout the length thereof and is supported in a suitable receptacle, not shown in detail, carried by one of the legs 85. Lamp 88 is suitable electrically energizable by suitable wiring and control means, not shown, and is located above an elongated slot 77 in longitudinal alignment with the longitudinally central axis thereof in an elongated support 78. The ends of support 78 are provided with downwardly and outwardly extending legs 80 between which the wire 41 extends. Although only the lower portion is shown, the sides of the lamp 88 are shielded by suitable expanded metal guides 79 which control the side dispersion of light from the lamp 88 while permitting adequate ventilation of the lamp 88. Wire 41 is suitably tensioned between the legs 80 in any suitable manner such as shown, a coil spring 82 at one end of the wire 41 and a suitable support such as an eye bolt 84 at the other end thereof which eye bolt 84 is oerative to vary the force exerted by the spring 82 on the wire 41.

Although not shown it is to be realized that the lamp assembly 33 is supported in the same manner as assembly 32 and that the assembly 34 is supported in the same manner as assembly 32 other than for permitting movement of 4 assembly 34 as a unit since assembly 34 is associated with a stationary saw.

The device of this invention is operative to obtain complete and accurate adjustment of each lamp 88 so that the shadow of the associated wire is cast upon the board to indicate the cutting line of the respective saw 20, 21, or 22 as the board is advanced through the edger in the well known manner.

With the structure described it is possible to adjust each shadow line in the following ways individually or in combination:

Running the nuts 67 to right or left on the horizontal legs 62 and 63, as viewed in FIG. 3, will center the lamp 32 over the saw kerf from the associated saw 20; adjusting the nuts 64 up or down on the upwardly extending legs 62' and 63' will permit the shadow line to be swung to the right or left on the board; loosening the cap screw 75 and stud 71 will permit the swinging of the top element 72 in the horizontal plane to align the shadow line with a saw diameter and, loosening either lock nut 67' and the nut 67 cooperable therewith will allow the hanger assembly to be rotated about the horizontal legs 62 and 63 to level the wire 47 to make it parallel to the board.

In a preferred embodiment of the bracket assembly 50 the threaded elements 62 and 63 are simply two portions of a long threaded bar having threads the complete length thereof which are inserted through the bore of the tubing member 66. Such threaded bar is provided with a pair of nuts 67, 67' at each end of the tubing member 66 prior to the ends of the threaded elements being bent to form the leg portions 62' and 63'.

With the brackets 62 and 63 formed from one piece of threaded rod a further adjustment is possible simply by loosening the nuts 64 on one side of the hanger assembly 65 and tightening the nuts 64 on the other side thereof so that the lamp carrying assembly can be shifted to right or left relative to the channel element 68 as desired.

Preferred embodiments of this invention having been described and shown it is to be realized that variations in the application of the principles described are possible and it is respectively requested that this invention be interpreted as broadly as possible.

What is claimed:

1. In a shadow light assembly having a lamp housing with a lamp therein and means to obtain a shadow line which extends along an axis, the improvement comprising, first support means secured to said housing and having a portion extending along a second axis extending transversely of said shadow line, second support means releasably secured to said portion of said first support means for adjustably positioning said first support means pivotably about said second axis and for adjustably positioning said first support means longitudinally along said second axis, third support means selectively movable in opposite directions along a linear path extending substantially in the same direction as said second axis, and said second support means having at least one portion secured to said third support means for adjustably positioning said second support means with respect to said third support means along an axis extending transversely of said second axis.

2. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said first support means is releasably secured to said housing for adjustably positioning said housing about an axis extending transversely of said second axis.

3. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second support means is a threaded memher having means movable along the threads thereof engageable with said portion of said first support means.

4. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second support means has other means movable along the threads thereof engageable with said third support means.

5. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 2 including means for supporting said housing during the positioning of said housing about said last mentioned axis.

6. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said second axis is perpendicular to said shadow line.

7. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said last mentioned axis is perpendicular to said second axis.

8. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said linear path is parallel to said second axis.

9. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 4 in which said second axis is perpendicular to said shadow line.

10. A shadow light assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which said last mentioned axis is perpendicular to said second axis.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1958 Kizaur. 1/1965 Suozzo FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1959 Canada.

US. Cl. X.R. 

